Posted on 08/14/2002 6:22:33 AM PDT by McLynnan
President Bush listened first and talked later Tuesday as he moved from one friendly audience to the next at the Baylor law school.
Bush made 20-minute cameos in four of the eight discussions that kicked off his economic forum. Vice President Dick Cheney visited the other four. Each of the sessions, which ran concurrently, lasted 90 minutes.
Bush was the focus of every room he entered, but others did most of the talking. After opening remarks from two administration officials and investment executive Charles Schwab, Bush told investing and retirement panelists he was looking out for his McLennan County neighbors.
"I think about how people in Crawford look at Wall Street and the numbers," said Bush, whose ranch is about 25 miles west of Waco. "And one of the things I hope that comes out of this discussion is how do we simplify the numbers so that people can understand what they're looking at."
Panelists gave Bush first-hand accounts of the economy's health. Larry Johnston, chairman of the Albertson's grocery store chain, said he sees weakening consumer confidence when customers buy hamburger instead of steak.
Other stories were more encouraging. Dick Holthaus, president of the National Association of Investors Corporations, said the small investment clubs that make up his group received eight requests to sell for every two to buy in recent months. But he said investors have in recent weeks been buying only, which Holthaus chalked up to market factors and an emphasis on corporate responsibility.
Cabinet secretaries and other administration officials moderated the groups. They mostly called on business and civic leaders when Bush was in the room, ignoring professors from schools like Harvard, Stanford and the University of Pennsylvania.
Corporate accounting scandals were fresh in the minds of several panelists. Harry Alford, chairman of the National Black Chamber of Commerce, told Bush he was tired of seeing embattled executives plead the Fifth Amendment before Congress "as if they're Bugsy Siegel or Al Capone."
Bush told Alford that law-breakers will be held accountable. He also said business schools need to teach students the difference between right and wrong.
"They're afraid of taking a position, evidently," Bush said.
Bush walked swiftly into each room he entered, sometimes catching panelists off-guard. He got a delayed standing ovation when he entered the corporate responsibility session. In the discussion session on jobs and recovery, Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill gave panelists advance warning to stand when Bush entered.
The president took a few notes while participants talked, but he mostly looked directly at them, nodding frequently. He also worked in a few laughs.
At the session on jobs and recovery, North Carolina restaurant owner Van Eure sat between Bush and O'Neill, who has sometimes found few champions in Washington. After talking about estate taxes, Eure said it was an honor to sit next to one of her heroes, presumably meaning Bush.
"Who, O'Neill?" Bush quipped in amazement. "We found one, O'Neill."
George Luck, principal of the Waco ISD Alternative Campus and owner of Temple's Bluebonnet Cafe, sat on the health-care panel. A friend who works for Scott & White Memorial Hospital suggested Luck when White House officials asked for participants.
"I think people were very genuine throughout the entire forum," Luck said. "I don't think there was any difference when the president was there."
Luck said panelists were advised to keep comments short so everybody could speak. Salado nurse Lucinda Harman, also part of the health-care session, said the key instructions were to wear business dress and turn cell phones off.
After a wrap-up session at Baylor's Jones Concert Hall, Bush went to a participants' lunch in the Bill Daniel Student Center. They ate Southwest chicken salad and key lime pie, and Bush worked the room for handshakes and photos.
A Marine helicopter transported Bush from his Crawford ranch to Waco that morning, landing on the new intramural fields across La Salle Avenue from the Ferrell Center. He flew back to the ranch after five hours in Waco.
Even before the event began, Democrats complained the Bush forum was little more than a photo-op. In his closing-session remarks, Bush acknowledged at least some of the pageantry.
"Thanks for having us all," he told Baylor President Robert B. Sloan Jr. "And I want you to thank all the good folks here at Baylor University for putting on a great show."
Just curious..... what rumors are troubling and should be dealt with? Can you list or cite them or a link.. Thanks
btw, stevie......there's no parallel between the honorable people on this forum who support an honorable President, and the groupies who blindly supported the debauched x42.
If you had the maturity of anyone past the 8th grade, you'd know that, and you wouldn't get such a kick out of using your stupid 'kneepad' insult.
Or should I ask which one of them feeds you their talking points so you can pretend you know something? Everything you've posted here fits in perfectly with DNC babble.
Bump for the article.....
The Dems brought it back up when he ran for President, and once again there was no evidence of wrongdoing. With the Corporate scandals, the Dems brought it up again even though it has been thoroughly investigated and dealt with, but apparently steve is bothered by it.
He chooses to believe liberal rumors and innuendo over the SEC, and an honest President. That's why he's 'troubled,' I guess.
Anyway this is off topic to the thread so.... back to the top for the article on the Economic Summit
The market closed up around 260, but I would never dare suggest that the president's forum was responsible. I'd be worried that someone would point out the fallacy in my argument. [hint]
She hasn't made much noise on the national scene since then, has she?
That accent is fake, huh? And she claims she's the genuine Texan and W is an interloper?
Is there an honest Democrat alive??
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